YuGiOh 5D's: Spirit of the Duelist
by Freelancer 1989
Summary: Full summary is inside    Rated teen for language, violence  in and out of the dueling arena or course , and for Turbo Duels
1. The Rules of the Duel

Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Spirit of the Duelist

Summary: Since the beginning of time itself, the human world and the spirit world have coexisted together. But a dark shadow lurks that threatens to bring both worlds to their knees…

This is the story of Jim, a boy who after being introduced to the game of Duel Monsters, dreams about becoming a turbo duelist. But between angry sector security officers, psychic duelists, dark shadowy figures, and talking duel spirits… he soon learns that there's far more to the world of dueling than he ever imagined

The Rules of the Duel

If you already know the rules of the game, you can pretty much skip this part….

Basic rules of Yu-Gi-Oh!

Players begin with 8000 life points, they take turns trying to deplete the others life points through battle of special effects. Both players start with a five card hand. Players can have up to 5 monsters and 5 spell/traps on the field at one time (special field spells do not count)

Turn contents

**Draw phase**: Player draws one card from his/her deck

**Standby phase**: Nothing happens unless a card effect says otherwise

**Main Phase 1**: Players can normal summon 1 monster per turn, low level monsters (1-4 stars) can be summoned immediately, Mid level (5-6 stars) require a sacrifice of 1 monster already on the field. High level (7-12 stars) require 2 sacrifices. If a card effect allows it, players can special summon with no limit to how many can be special summoned. Players can switch monsters from attack to defense and vice-versa. Players can set trap cards for use next turn or when an opponent triggers it. Players can set spells facedown for later use or play them straight from the hand. Spells and traps have powerful effects that aid in a duel.

**Battle Phase**: Each monster can attack once per turn.

In a battle between two Attack Position monsters:

If one ATK value is lower than the other, the one with the lowest ATK is destroyed. The owner of the destroyed Monster takes damage equal to the difference between the two ATK values, unless a card effect prevents Battle Damage.

If both ATK values are the same, both monsters are destroyed (called a Double KO), and no damage to Life Points is inflicted on either player, unless a card effect dictates otherwise.

When attacking a Defense Position monster:

If both the ATK value of the attacking monster and the DEF value of the attacked one are the same, neither monster is destroyed, and neither player loses Life Points.

If the ATK value of the attacking monster is higher than the DEF value of the attacked one, the Defense Position monster is destroyed, and no Battle Damage is taken, unless the attacking player has a Piercing effect that deals the difference between the ATK and DEF values as Battle Damage.

If the ATK value of the attacking monster is lower than the DEF value of the attacked one, the difference between the ATK and DEF values are dealt as Battle Damage to the attacking player and neither monster is destroyed.

If the opponent has no Monsters on the field, damage is dealt to the opponent's Life Points equal to the total ATK value, if the attack is not blocked or disrupted. This is called a Direct attack.

**Main Phase 2**: A player can do the same basic thing as in Main phase 1… If a player hasn't summoned already, he/she can do so now, as well as play some final spell/traps. However, you cannot battle again until your next turn.

**End Phase**: Your turn is finished, now your opponent's turn begins (If you have more than six cards in your hand at this time, you must discard cards to the graveyard until you're holding six cards)

Both players take turns until either one player's life points reach 0. If a player runs out of cards in their deck to draw, they will lose by default. Certain conditions, such as Final Countdown, the Destiny Board, or drawing the five pieces of Exodia results in an automatic win

Turbo duels

Turbo duels are duels on a special motorcycle called a duel runner

(D-wheel in Japan) The rules are pretty much the same except:

The runners go on autopilot. (However, it is possible to deactivate the autopilot and drive the Runner manually, this is often difficult…)

The field spell Speed world is in play and cannot be removed or negated.

During every of either player's standby phases, both players gain 1 Speed Counter, (max 12) which makes them go faster. Players lose one Speed Counter for every 1000 points of damage they receive.

Speed Counters are used to play spell cards known as 'Speed Spell' cards. As long as the Speed World field spell is in play, only Speed Spells can be used in the duel, every other type of spell card is forbidden to be used. Any players who break this rule will receive 2000 points of damage

Also, unlike in ground duels where you have many different types of spells, there are only two types of Speed Spells: Normal and Quick-Play

There is also Speed World 2, which works basically the same, but with extra effects, like:

Remove 4 of your speed counters to inflict 800 damage for every speed spell in your hand

Remove 7 of your speed counters to draw an extra card

Remove 10 of your speed counters to destroy any card on the field (except Speed World)

Also, Speed World 2 doesn't lose speed counters for every 1000 life points like the original Speed World does.

For the most part, Speed World 2 is used more often in this story.

Also, there are individuals known as Psychic Duelists. These duelists possess a special power that literally brings the game to life. They are able to materialize real monsters and the effects of their cards, but also inflict real damage to their opponents (and to the surrounding environment). Because of this, Society is often unkind to Psychic Duelists and often rejects them

In this story, certain duelists are paired with a spirit partner. However, not everyone can see these spirits. Only certain individuals can communicate with or even see these spirits


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In New Domino City, dueling is more than just a way to spend the time; it's become a way of life. Turbo Duels are a part of everyday life for the citizens, both for those who watch and those who ride. Those who compete in the realm of the Speed put their pride on the line as they battle and race their way to the top of the circuit.

It was another bright sunny day in New Domino City, the streets were alive with people walking around, going through their daily rituals. But calm of city life was suddenly shattered as the siren of a Sector Security Duel Runner filled the air.

"Excuse me! Pardon me! Comin through!" a voice said as it sped through the crowded streets

"STOP, THIEF!"

Several people turned at the word 'thief' expecting to see some twenty or thirty year old lowlife with at least one criminal marker on their face. What they saw instead, bursting through the crowd, was a boy… a twelve year old boy. His hair was short and brown, his eyes were blue. The boy was clothed in a pair of blue denim shorts, a short sleeved grey shirt with a few tears along the sleeves and the bottom. On his feet he had a pair of motorized rollerblades (think ATs from Air Gear, same basic thing), pads on his elbows and knees, and a silver helmet on his head.

The boy looked back at the officer chasing after him, one he knew all too well… Officer Edward Kowler, or Eddy as he referred to him as. He had been chasing him practically since he could walk

"Geez, I didn't even steal anything this time…" the boy thought to himself, "I wish Eddy would just leave me alone"

Applying more pressure to the heels of his blades, he increased his speed as he tried to lose his pursuers. Suddenly he came to a rather steep hill. Ceasing the pressure on his heels, gravity took over and he sped down the hill. He looked back to see the officer still chasing him, but as he looked forward, an elderly woman appeared out of nowhere in front of him. The elderly woman turned and saw him fast approaching. With no way to stop his rapid descend on this hill, he reached his hand out and grabbed onto a lamp pole and used it to make a quick turn to avoid her.

"Oh my…" the woman said as the boy avoided her

"Sorry" he yelled back at the woman

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY SO EASY!" Ed shouted as he continued his pursuit

"He thinks that was easy?" he thought as they began to reach more level ground, reapplying pressure to his heels, the motor system in his roller blades activated and propelled him forwards

As they reached the outskirts of the city, the tall skyscrapers began to become fewer in number, until finally, they were out of the limits of the city and into the quieter rural areas outside New Domino City. Out here it wasn't gray and crowded; it was green, open, quiet…

"Ok, that's the last of it…" Hank said as he and his new neighbors finished putting the last box into their new home

"Thank you, we really appreciate you helping us move in" the wife smiled

"My pleasure and please, call me Hank" he smiled

"So, what's the neighborhood like here?" the husband asked

"It's pretty peaceful and quite out here compared to life in the city itself"

"Look out!" a voice shouted

The three of them turned and saw a boy speeding towards them, struggling to keep his balance. Before Hank could react, the boy crashed into him, sending both of them flying backwards onto the lawn

"Oh my, are you both alright?" the wife asked, both of them groaned

"What hit me?" Hank groaned as he lifted his head to see a familiar face lying on his chest

"Ow…" the boy groaned as he removed himself from Hank's chest "Sorry Mr. Hank"

"What are you in such a hurry there for Jimmy?"

"I'll give you three guesses but you're only gonna need one" he replied as they both got to their feet

"Eddy giving you grief again?" Hank smirked

"Yep, gotta go!" Jim said as he prepared to zoom off

"Hey, wait a minute!" Hank stopped him

"What?"

"This is Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins, they just moved in"

"Hello" he greeted them in a very polite tone

"Hello there" Mr. Hawkins extended his hand forward

"I'm Jim; it's nice to meet you both" Jim shook his hand

"Are you sure you're alright?" Mrs. Hawkins asked

"Don't worry about me, I can take care myself" he smiled at her

Suddenly, the sound of a Sector Security siren filled the air

"I gotta go, nice meeting you" Jim said as he speed off into the neighborhood

"YOU WON'T ESCAPE ME THIS TIME!" the clearly pissed off office yelled as he revved his engine and sped past the Hawkins' home

"What was that about?" Mrs. Hawkins asked

"That's Officer Edward of Sector Security, he's been chasing after Jimmy since he had baby teeth"

"Did he steal something?"

"Not since his trip to the reeducation center" Hank shook his head

"Then why is he still after him?" Mr. Hawkins asked

"It's kind of a funny story…" Hank chuckled, "One day, Eddy was trying to grab Jim for something, but Jim slipped and fell backwards and as Eddy came forward, Jim's leg came up and well, I think you can imagine what happened next…"

"Oh…" Mr. Hawkins winced

"Yep, right in the balls…" Hank chuckled, "It was a complete accident, but everyone else there thought it was funny as hell, including the other officers" Hank laughed at the memory of that day, "Needless to say, Eddy's still pissed off about that day and has been after little Jimmy ever since"

"Don't his parents know about all this?" Mrs. Hawkins asked

"He doesn't have any…" Hank replied, "They died when he was very little, he doesn't even remember them"

"The poor dear…" Mrs. Hawkins felt sorry for him, "so who takes care of him?"

"He's been lookin after himself; in the beginning, he only took what he needed to survive. But after his trip to the reeducation center, he started helping out around the neighborhood here and instead of stealing, he began earning what he needed to get by. He's not a bad person; he's just had to live his life all alone"

"Hasn't anyone thought about taking him in?"

"Yes, we all have… but every time he just smiles and says, 'Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself'" Mrs. Hawkins looked in the direction Jim was heading, "He's a good kid once you get to know him"

Jim sped through the neighborhood and hid behind a house at the corner as Eddy sped by. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he then heard a pair of familiar giggling

"Huh?" he turned to the source, "Oh hi Ms. Lora, Ms. Jully"

"Hello Jimmy" Lora greeted him

"Running from Edward again?" Jully asked, "Aren't you getting into trouble a little early today Jimmy?" she smiled at the boy

"I didn't even do anything…" he replied, "Besides; you're only in trouble if you get caught-"

"Gotcha!" Edward grabbed Jim by his shirt and pulled him towards him

"I'm in trouble!" Edward stared at him angrily

"You're not getting away this ti-" Ed was cut off by something slamming onto his helmeted head. Jim pulled away from the slightly disoriented office and looked up. There was potting soil and the remains of a flower of some kind on top of his helmet

"Oh my goodness, are you alright down there?" Old Mrs. Gloria leaned out of her second story window

"Thanks Mrs. Gloria" Jim waved at her

"Huh? Oh hello Jimmy dear" she waved at the boy, "Come by later, I'll have something sweet for you"

"You know I will… bye!" Jim said as he sped off

"Hey, what gives!" Edward shouted at the old woman

"Sorry officer, these old hands just ain't what they used to be" she replied as she held out her old shaky hands

Ed growled as he got back onto his runner and continued his pursuit. After another fifteen minutes, Edward couldn't find Jim anywhere. He would have continued his search, but a call from headquarters demanded he come back immediately. Jim peaked out the window of an old abandon house on the outskirts of the neighborhood. It wasn't very big or flashy; it was a small, two story house. A couple of the rooms were filled with clutter, junk, and debris from who ever had previously lived there, the carpet in many areas was torn and shredded, two of the downstairs windows were shattered completely and several others were cracked, the flooring in several areas was broken and there were holes in a few areas on both floors. Fortunately though, the upstairs was still in fairly good shape, at least the master bedroom still had a bed and blankets.

It wasn't much… it was the closest thing to a home he had…

Jim sighed as he placed his backpack down and fell backwards onto the bed. The soft blankets and mattress felt nice after being chased halfway through New Domino City. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a foot long sandwich, a bag of chips, and a water bottle

"Thank you Mr. Howard" he said to himself as he un-wrapped his sandwich and took a bite

Howard owns a sandwich shop in New Domino City, and was a friend of Jim's. But it wasn't always so… before his trip to the reeducation center, Jim used to steal a loaf of bread or whatever he could grab from his shop every day. Howard hated him at first and never wanted him in his shop ever again. However, one day, Howard was robbed by a punk with a knife. The guy took the entire contents of his registers and took off. Jim was passing by and saw what happened, as the guy tried to escape down an alley, something made him trip and fall and as he hit the ground, the bag with all the money he just stolen flew forward. Jim grabbed the bag and ran as fast as he could. The thief chased him, but as he got closer to grabbing the boy, he again tripped and fell over. As he picked himself up, a Sector Security officer stopped in front of him

"Don't move, you're under arrest" the officer said

Later that evening, Howard prepared to close shop… afraid he might have to close down for good, when he heard the door open

"Sorry we're closed" he said as he turned towards the door, "You!" he nearly shouted when he saw Jim standing at the door, "Are you here to steal more of my food?"

"Um…" he said in a nervous tone

"Well, what is it!" he said in a harsh tone

"I… I think this yours" Jim placed the bag down in front of him

"What's this kid up to?" Howard thought as he walked over to the bag. As he opened the bag, his jaw dropped to the floor

"What… where did you…" Howard was stunned and flabbergasted… it was the money that was stolen from him earlier

"I saw what happened earlier…." he said, "I thought you might want it back"

"I don't get it…" he looked at the young boy, "you steal food from me, but you won't take money?"

"I only need food… and I… I know that you really need this"

"I don't understand… doesn't your family feed you?"

"I-I don't have one…" Jim lowered his head, "I don't have a mom or dad"

Howard stood silent… he had hated this boy for stealing some bread, some water, deli meat, maybe a bag of chips once or twice… but he had returned his money to him and saved his business, even though he didn't have to

"Bye…" Jim turned to leave

"Hold on, wait!" Howard stopped him, Jim looked at him curiously, "What's your name?" Howard knelt down to look at him at eye level

"People call me Jim…" he replied nervously, he wasn't exactly sure what Howard was going to do. In the past when Howard spoke to him, he was often very angry with him, yelling at him, and prone to throw things at him

"I want to thank you for returning this to me; you saved my business" he smiled at him, "You did the right thing"

"Your… welcome" Jim was surprised; this was the first time Howard had talked to him like this. A second later, they heard a low rumbling sound. Jim blushed at the sound of his stomach growling

"Come on" Howard stood up

"huh?" Jim looked up at him

"Do you prefer ham, turkey, or chicken?"

"What?"

"You did the right thing, I think I owe you at least this" Howard smiled, Jim's face slowly began to light up

"Ham, please"

"Go ahead and take a seat"

After a couple of minutes, Howard walked up to the table with a foot long sandwich, a bag of chips, and a soda. Jim smiled as he placed the tray down in front of him

"I can have this?" Jim asked

"Go ahead and dig in" Howard smiled

"Thank you" Jim smiled as he picked up the sandwich and took a big bite out of it

Jim practically inhaled his meal in no time flat and sat back, patting his belly as he finished

"That was good, thank you"

"Glad you liked it" Howard smiled, "Hey tell ya what, if you promise not to steal from me again, I'll let you have one of those everyday"

"Really?" Jim looked at him in shook, "You really mean it?"

"As long as you promise not to steal from me anymore… I'll let you have one thing off the menu everyday"

"You got it!" the little boy smiled

Jim reached into his bag once more and pulled out a small box, inside were some dueling cards he had found around the city, surprisingly enough, they were still in very good shape (almost new), like someone had just opened a pack and then thrown them out not long before he passed by. There were about twenty cards in all… Junk Blader x2, Junk Collector, Junk Servant, Junk Forward, Junk Defender, Junk Synchron x3, Quick-Span Knight, Synchron Explorer, Shield Wing, Swift Scarecrow, Turbo Synchron, Debris Dragon, Rusted Blade – Last Edge, Counter Sword, Junk Dealer, Junk Shield, Synchro Deflector, and Scrap-Iron Scarecrow… He didn't know any of the rules or even really know how to play… they probably weren't even the best cards around, but at least they were his.

He had seen some kids dueling on a few occasions, both before and after he was being chased by Eddie. Dueling looked like a lot of fun and he really wanted to learn how to play, but every time he went into the city or even outside, Eddie was always ready and waiting to chase him from one side of New Domino to the other all day long.

You'd think he'd have more important things to worry about than chasing a twelve year old boy practically every day (even after he got out of the reeducation center)

At the Sector Security Headquarters in Central New Domino…

Edward finally returned to the squad room, a couple officers looked at him and started snickering

"Hey Eddy, catch that kid yet?"

"Or did he give you the slip again?" Edward growled as they and several other officers laughed, "Oh by the way, Lieutenant Craigan wants to talk to you"

Edward walked into his CO's office, inside was his superior and some woman he had never seen before. Black hair, dark skin, brown eyes, probably around 25 years old, wearing a sector security uniform

"You wanted to see me sir"

"Close the door and sit down" Craigan said in an obviously annoyed tone

"What's this about?" Edward asked as he took a seat

"Why are you still chasing after that kid?" he glared at him

"He's a little thief and he's nothing but a trouble maker"

"He did his time at the center and no one has reported him since" the lieutenant pulled out a file from his desk, "You, on the other hand, I've gotten almost two dozen complaints and about eight of code violations… all over a twelve year old, who I've had no complaints about since he was released!"

"But sir-"

"Consider this an order and your final warning, back off the kid!" Craigan shouted, "If I get one more complaint… one more step out of line and I'll take your badge and send you to the Facility!"

"You can't be serious" Edward shouted

"You want to try me officer?" Craigan said straight to his face, Edward just stood there silent, "Now get out of here" Edward turned and left the room

"So… what did you need me for sir?" the woman asked him

"Sharon, look I don't care what you do… I don't care how you do it… just get this kid off the streets"

"Pardon me for asking, but why is he so obsessed with catching this kid?" Sharon asked

"The kid fell backwards and accidentally kicked him in the balls… and everyone else there thought it was funny as hell"

"So he's pissed off because this kid humiliated him in public?"

"Pretty much…" Craigan sighed as he shook his head, "I read the report and spoke with witnesses who saw everything, it was a complete accident but he just can't let it go and he's been giving me nothing but headaches since"

"What can you tell me about this kid?" 

"He's twelve years old, he's an orphan, and he's been to the reeducation center once a few years back"

"What was he sent there for?"

"He was caught stealing food on several occasions"

"Just food? No wallets, money, purses, or any other personal belongings?"

"Nothing like that was reported, it was always just food"

"Do you have any idea where I could find him?" Officer Sharon asked

"You might want to try this rural area here" the lieutenant pointed to a spot outside of the city on a map in his office

"What's this kid's name?"

"I think they call him Jim"

"Alright sir, I'll see what I can do"

"Oh and if you see Edward anywhere near that area, let me know alright"

"Yes sir"

"There you go dear" Gloria said as she placed a plate with a fresh slice of apple pie in front of him

"Thanks Mrs. Gloria" Jim smiled as he picked up his fork to enjoy his slice, "This is delicious"

"I'm glad you like it dear" she smiled at him

"Thanks again, I gotta go" Jim waved good-bye

"Take care dear"

As Jim left Gloria's house, he decided to revisit the Hawkins house, he didn't really get to properly welcome them to the neighborhood. After a short five minute ride, he arrived at the Hawkins' residents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins were sitting on their porch, relaxing and taking a breather after a hard day of moving in.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins" Jim waved at them

"Well hello there" Mr. Hawkins got out of his chair

"You're Jim, right?" Mrs. Hawkins stood up to greet him

"Yeah, sorry I had to run earlier" Jim smiled at them, "But I came to properly greet you this time"

"Well it's nice to meet you, I'm John Hawkins and this is my wife, Mary Hawkins" John smiled

"So where do you live?" Mary asked

"There is an old house on the very far end of town that I stay at… it's not much, but it works"

"You know, if there is anything you need, you can come to us" John knelt down

"Don't worry about me; I can take care of myself" Jim smiled

"But doesn't that officer give you grief every day?" Mary asked

"Eddy? I can out smart that dummy in my sleep" he smirked

"Are you sure?" John asked, "If you need a place to stay, you can stay here if you'd like"

"Thanks, but I can handle myself… besides, then Eddy is going to be after you guys too" Jim looked at them, "I can handle him"

"If there's anything you need, our doors open to you" Mary placed her hand on his shoulder

"I appreciate it, but I'll be alright… I don't want to be any trouble"

"Will you at least stay for dinner?"Mary stepped forward

"I don't want to bother you guys" Jim replied

"We insist, it's no trouble at all" John patted his shoulder

"Well… ok…" he reluctantly agreed

Jim took off his roller blades and followed John and Mary into their home. It was so much nicer than the house he was staying at, even though there were still a lot of boxes everywhere, it was still a very tidy, very well taken care of home.

"Wow… this is a nice house" Jim looked around

"We still got some unpacking to do, but hopefully we'll be done soon" John stood behind him

"I hope you like chicken and veggies" Mary said from the kitchen

Jim was led to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl off the counter. Mary placed two scoops into his bowl. Jim sat down at the table with John and Mary as they dug into their food

"How is it?"

"It's good, thank you"

"How old are you Jim?" John asked the boy

"I'm twelve years old" Jim placed his bowl down as he answered

"So… how long have you been living by yourself?" Mary asked

"It feels like forever…"

"Have you ever thought about moving in with some one?"

Jim paused for moment and sighed before he gave his answer

"I don't want to cause them trouble… Eddy is mad enough at me; I don't want everyone else ending up on his list just because of me"

"Why don't you talk to the people at security? Maybe someone higher up can help get him off your back" Mary placed her fork down as she spoke to him

"I really don't think they're going to listen to a kid over a security officer" Jim sighed

John and Mary looked at each other then turned towards Jim

"You know… if you need help, you can always come here" Mary said to him

"I just met you guys… why are you doing all this for me?" Jim asked 

"We used to have a son…" John said, "He was such a beautiful boy…"

"What happened to him?" Jim could see sadness in Mary's face

"He got very sick when he was little…" Mary lowered her head, "He was only five, he didn't make it…"

"I'm sorry" Jim lowered his head

"He'd be around your age right now" John grabbed his wife's hand, "You kinda remind us of him; he was a sweet kid…"

"The people around here told us all about you and we know life hasn't been easy for you" Mary raised her head and looked over at the twelve year old, "We know what it's like to lose a part of your family… but you don't have to go through it alone, we'd like to help you"

As their words sank in, Jim didn't know what to say. They seemed like really nice people and they understood what he was going through… Jim couldn't remember his parents or really anything about them… Jim remembered many times when he was running through the city; he had seen kids and their parents together, they looked so happy… he always wished he could be a part of that

He'd spent so many years alone and he really, really wanted to be part of a family again… maybe they could be what he had always wanted, maybe he could become a part of their family…

(Later on the front porch)

"I really appreciate what you guys are trying to do for me… and I- I really want to be a part of a family again" Jim looked up at them, "Do you… do you guys really want me in your family?"

"If you want to be a part of our family, you're more than welcome to" John knelt down and placed his hand on his shoulder

"We know what it's like to lose someone important in your life, and no one should have to go through that alone" Mary placed her hand on Jim's other shoulder as she and John smiled at him

"Thanks you guys" Jim said as a tear slid down his face, "I do, I want a family again"

John wiped a tear off Jim's cheek, Jim looked at them and embraced John tightly. John smiled and placed his arms around him

"Ok… then welcome to our family" Mary said as they held him warmly

As the held him, Jim felt a warmth and a comfort he had never felt before, like they were filling a void in his heart. After a few minutes, they finally released their hug. Jim wiped his face and smiled at them

"I'll be right back" Jim said as he began to put his blades back on his feet

"Where are you going?" Mary asked

"I need to get my things; I'll be back real soon"

Jim speed off towards his hideout, headed straight up to the master room, and placed what few possessions he had into his backpack. Jim smiled as he thought about starting his new life with the Hawkins. For the first time in his life, things were finally starting to look up for him. The sun began to set as Jim headed back to his new home

"I can't believe this is happening…" Jim thought to himself, "I can't believe that I'm not going to be alone anymore" he smiled as the house came into view

"Things are going to be great from now on" he waved as he saw John and Mary waiting on the porch

"Welcome back little buddy" John smiled

"Welcome home Jim" Mary smiled as Jim hugged her

"I'm home…"

"There you are!" an angry voice shouted, the three of them immediately turned around

"Ah man, not again!" Jim couldn't believe that Eddy was glaring at them by his duel runner, "What do I have to do to get rid of you?"

"You're not getting away from me this time!" Eddy shouted, "You're mine, you worthless little rat!"

"Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"You don't get it kid; I'll never stop hunting you!"

"Why don't you lay off the boy?" John stepped in front of Jim

"Out of my way, or I'll throw all three of you into the Facility!" Edward shouted as he walked towards the house

"Leave them alone!" Jim yelled as he jumped off the porch and into the front yard, Edward immediately turned his attention to the boy, who charged towards his runner and knocked it over, shattering one of his mirrors and leaving a slight dent on the body

"Hey!"

"If you want me, then come and catch me, you jackass!" Jim shouted furiously

"Hold it right there!" a female voice shouted

Everyone turned to see a woman in a sector security uniform, accompanied by three other officers. She removed her helmet and glared angrily in their direction

"Who the hell are you?" Edward glared back at her

"Agent Sharon Michaels of Sector Security" she introduced herself, "and you were told to back off, officer!"

"I don't take my orders from you!"

"But you do from him…"Sharon pulled out a holoscreen with the Lieutenant from earlier

"Edward! I told you to back off!" Craigan shouted furiously, "I have had it with you!"

"But sir, I-" Edward attempted to make an excuse

"Shut up, I don't want to hear it! Officers, arrest him and take him to the Facility!"

"What!"

Edward was about to say more but two officers grabbed him from behind and forced him to the ground. He struggled furiously as the two held him down as the third officer restrained him with handcuffs. After cuffing him, the three officers forced him to his feet and dragged him to a prison car, Edward screamed and kicked, cursing profoundly as they threw him into the vehicle and slammed the doors shut. Jim, John, and Mary just stood still…

"What just happened?" Jim asked as the large prison vehicle drove off, he had half expected someone to slap a pair of handcuffs on him by now. Just what was going on here?

"You're Jim, aren't you?" Sharon turned to the twelve year old

"Uh, yes ma'am…" Jim stuttered

"Been looking all over for you" she approached the boy

"Am I in trouble?" he asked in a slightly nervous tone as John and Mary walked up behind him

"No…" the officer shook her head, "I'm not here to arrest you" Jim stared up at her, "My superior officer wants me to get you off the streets"

"Huh?" Jim wore a look of surprise on his face; did he really hear her right?

"Are you serious?" John asked the officer

"Who are you sir?" Sharon asked

"My name is John Hawkins and this is my wife, Mary Hawkins"

"I'm sorry if Edward gave you any trouble… he was told to back off"

"So you're not here for Jim?" Mary asked

"No, I was ordered to get him off the streets and I don't mean locking him away in the Facility" Sharon smiled

"Are you serious?" Jim couldn't believe what she was saying; it seemed like his whole life security was against him, but now security was trying to help him?

"We were actually talking about taking him in" Mary placed her hand on Jim's shoulder

"Is that so…" Sharon looked at the twelve year old, "Is this what you want to do young man?"

Jim looked at John and Mary, smiled and looked back at Sharon

"Yeah, I do… I want to stay with them"

"Well, I guess that settles it" the officer smiled as she put her helmet back on and headed for her runner

"Ms. Sharon…" Jim called to her

"Hmm…" she turned around

"Thank you" he smiled

"You're welcome" she smiled as she got onto her runner, "Take care of yourself… and good luck" she and the other security vehicles drove back towards New Domino City

"Oh by the way, don't ever let me catch you using that kind of language again" Mary looked down at Jim

"Huh?" Jim looked up at her

"I understand why you did that, but I don't want to hear you using that kind of language anymore… you're better than that, you don't need to be using that kind of language. It's completely uncalled for and you don't need to be doing that"

"Sorry…" Jim blushed and scratched the back of his head, "Is what it's like to have parents scold you?" he chuckled

"Come on, let's get you settled in" John patted Jim's shoulder

John and Mary led Jim back into the house and showed him to a room upstairs. Jim looked around; he saw a bed, a small dresser, and a lamp

"This is going to be your room" Mary said as he looked around the center of the room, "Tomorrow we'll see about getting you some new clothes… and some real shoes"

"This is mine?" Jim looked at them

"Yep, this is your room now" John smiled at the boy

Jim placed his bag down, ran over and hugged John and Mary

"Thanks you guys"

"You're welcome, kiddo" John smiled

"Get some sleep" Mary said in a gentle tone, "It's been a long day"

"Good night you guys" Jim looked up at his new family and smiled at them

"Good night little buddy" John placed his hand on Jim's head

"Good night Jim, sweet dreams" Mary placed a soft kiss on his forehead, "We'll see you in the morning"

Jim took off his shorts, practically leapt onto his new bed, and dove under the covers. This bed was so much more comfortable than the one back at his old hideout. It was clean, neat, and soft. Jim still couldn't believe all this was really happening… it all seemed so unreal, like some amazing dream.

Two things were definitely for real… things were going to be different from now on and he wasn't going to be lonely anymore


End file.
